For Franchisees

I have represented countless franchisees since I opened my own office in 1987. My clients have included all of the usual lines of business: restaurants and food outlets, gas stations and auto repair, convenience stores, computer shops, dry cleaners, hair salons, home maintenance services, and so forth. Some of my clients have been franchisees in well established systems. Others have purchased the very first franchise offered. Typical services I perform for franchisees include:

bullet Review of offering circulars and related documents
bullet Assistance with the purchase and sale of ongoing franchisees
bullet Dealing with day-to-day franchise issues (territory, advertising, support, royalties, audits, etc.)
bullet Litigation and arbitration

For Franchisors

I also have represented franchisors over the years. Generally, I have worked with franchisors early in their lifecycle and my start-up experience (see Business Law page) is especially useful. While it is common for many franchise attorneys to specialize in representing either franchisors or franchisees, I feel that experience on both sides of the fence helps me get to the bottom of issues faster and results in cost savings for my clients. My past work with franchisors has included:

bullet Guidance on the choice between franchising and other distribution systems
bullet Drafting offering circulars and related documents
bullet Regulatory compliance
bullet Preventing and resolving franchisee disputes

Related Areas

There are various other product and service distribution arrangements. I frequently am involved in the following areas:

bullet Dealerships and distributorships
bullet Seller assisted business opportunities
bullet Multi-level marketing plans
bullet Licensing arrangements